On the Edge of the Razor

 

FF Christopher J. Blackwell 

Rescue 3 - FDNY 

End of Watch:  September 11, 2001

Christopher J. Blackwell served the people of New York City as a member of the FDNY for twenty years.  His final twelve years were spent as a member of one of the FDNY's elite Rescue units.  FF Blackwell was part of Rescue 3, which is located in the South Bronx.   He was killed while saving others at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.  

He was a specialist in collapsed buildings and as part of his duties in the FDNY, he traveled throughout the United States sharing his expertise with firefighers in departments across the country.  His job was a high-risk job and one that he performed proficiently but not recklessly, conmensurate with his role as a teacher of his particular set of skills to other firefighters.  

In the course of his storied career with the FDNY, FF Blackwell earned multiple awards including the Heroism and Community Service Medal in 1989, the Thomas Kenney Award for Courage in 1990, and the New York Medal of Valor in 1992.

FF Blackwell and his wife, Jane, were the proud parents of three children, Alexandra, Ryan, and Samantha, who were 15, 13, and 11 years old respectively on the morning their father was killed.   Ryan Blackwell has followed his father into the family business, joining the FDNY.   

Apples and trees.  

-AK